In The Works July 2011: Embraer Legacy 450/500

The first flight of the midsize Legacy 500 remains on schedule for the second half of this year and will take place at Embraer’s facility in São José dos Campos, Brazil, according to Maurício Almeida, v-p of Embraer’s executive jet programs. The 500’s design is now frozen and all drawings, except for some assembly drawings, are complete.

The three main components of the first prototype Legacy 500’s fuselage–its forward, center and rear portions–have been mated. Assembly of the wings has begun, too, and one of two composite empennages already built has been attached to the prototype’s fuselage.

While the prototype comes together, systems integration testing is under way on an “iron bird” test rig, including testing of the new Legacys’ fly-by-wire flight control system and the latest version of the Rockwell Collins Fusion avionics system. The prototype Legacy 500’s two Honeywell HTF7500E engines were due to be delivered to Embraer by the end of last month. Design of the Legacy 500’s interior is done, Almeida said, and the first interior will be installed in a center-fuselage rig late this year or early next, “so we can start checking the interior, assembly, quality and robustness well before entry into service.”

Assembly of the prototype Legacy 450 should begin in the second half of next year. The Legacy 500 is scheduled to enter service in the second half of next year, followed in 2013 by the Legacy 450.